It’s another sign of spring’s imminent arrival.
Ice removal on Parks Creek near Lakeshore Drive is set to begin on Monday, March 20.
With the annual initiative set to begin, the North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority (NBMCA) is urging the public and snowmobilers to stay off the creek and away from the mouth of the creek on Lake Nipissing.
“The purpose of removing the ice is to allow spring runoff to flow unobstructed into Lake Nipissing and prevent flooding in the lower reaches of the creek,” explains Chitra Gowda, CAO, Secretary Treasurer.
The Conservation Authority says it is not anticipating any disturbance to the creek bed and the ice will be piled on the banks of Parks Creek to slowly melt.
“Removal of ice between the flood control structure and Lake Nipissing will help minimize the risk of any property flooding or ice damage to the control structure,” says Shelley Belanger, NBMCA Vice-Chair.
The Parks Creek Backflood Control Structure located at Eva Wardlaw Conservation Area was installed in 1994/95 to prevent high water levels in Lake Nipissing from backing up Parks Creek and flooding its surrounding low lands causing basement flooding and overcharging the municipal storm sewer system for approximately 500 homes.
